Rep.
Ron Paul, the libertarian-leaning congressman from Texas and recent
candidate for the GOP presidential nomination, on Wednesday gave a boost
to third parties and their candidates, providing them with a podium
and a platform from which they could present their views which are generally
ignored by the mainstream media.

At
a crowded news conference at the National Press Club in D.C., -- a week
after his stunning
address at the Rally for the Republic in Minneapolis -- Paul called
upon voters to reject Democrat Barak Obama and Republican John McCain
and cast their ballots in November for one of the four third-party candidates
instead.

"This
(election) system is driven by the conviction that only a major party
candidate can win," said Paul. "Voters become convinced that
any other vote is a wasted vote. It's time for that conclusion to be
challenged and to recognize that the only way not to waste
one's vote is to reject the two establishment candidates and join the
majority (of Americans), once called silent, and allow the voices of
the people to be heard."

Paul
reported that the day before, Tuesday, the McCain campaign had contacted
him and asked if he would endorse McCain, now that the primaries and
the conventions were over.

"The
argument was that he [McCain] would do a little less harm than the other
candidate," Paul said, adding, "We just don't need to do that
any more."

With
Paul were three of the four third party/independent candidates -- Constitution
Party Chuck Baldwin, a Baptist minister; Green Party nominee Cynthia
McKinney, a former Congresswoman from Georgia; and Independent Ralph
Nader -- united in agreement and support of a four-point platform on
foreign policy, privacy, the national debt, and the Federal Reserve.

Specifically,
the platform calls for an end to the Iraq War, an end to "war propaganda,
threats of a blockade and plans for attacks on Iran," and a refusal
to "re-ignite the cold war with Russia over Georgia."

Regarding
privacy matters: "we must protect the privacy and civil liberties
of all persons under US jurisdiction." Also, the PATRIOT ACT, FISA
legislation, and the Military Commissions Act must be repealed or "radically"
changed -- and there must be an end the practice of torture, secret
tribunals and secret prisons -- and a restoration of habeas corpus.

There
should be no increase in the national debt (some would argue it should
be eliminated), and the Federal Reserve should be subject to "thorough
investigation, evaluation, and an audit" -- with no further taxpayer
bailouts of corporations and no further corporate subsidies.

In
his remarks Paul quoted historian Carroll Quigley, author of "Tragedy
and Hope: A History of the World in Our Time" (and Bill Clinton's
mentor), who wrote: The argument that the two parties should represent
opposed ideals and policies, on, perhaps of the Right and the other
of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to the doctrinaire and
academic thinkers. Instead the two parties should be almost identical,
so that the American people can ?throw the rascals out" at any
election without leading to any profound or extensive shifts in policy.

"That
is a profound statement," said Paul. "It tells us what's going
on and why things don't change."

"We
here today are trying to say that we represent the majority, they [the
third-party candidates] deserve to be heard; they deserve to be in the
debates."

Each
of the three candidates presented the views of their parties -- ranging
from left to right on the political spectrum, and each brought different
pieces of information.

Chuck
Baldwin, standard bearer for the Constitution Party, said the election
is not between Democrats and Republicans or between liberals and conservatives,
but between constitutionalists and globalists -- with John McCain being
a globalist.

He
drew attention to McCain's proposal for a League of Democracies, which
he plans to put in motion once he becomes president, "which is
nothing but the United Nations on steroids."

McCain's
essay -- "An
Enduring Peace Built on Freedom" -- a pitch for his pitch for
the proposed league, was published by the Council on Foreign Relations,
in the Nov/Dec. 2007 issue of its journal Foreign Affairs.

Baldwin
pointed out that both major parties are "helping construct"
the New World Order -- but promised that if he becomes president "the
New World Order will come crashing down."

Cynthia
McKinney discussed the four pillars of the Green Party: peace, social
justice, ecological wisdom and grass roots democracy. She raised the
issue of what some have dubbed "votescam" -- the manipulation
of election results by tampering with the vote-counting machines.

Independent
Ralph Nader said the agreement of the candidates on the four-points
represented a "beginning of a realignment of American politics."
He said the issues raised indicated a "crisis in constitutional
government" -- and that the U.S. Constitution has been degraded,
violated, nullified, and twisted out of any semblance of its real meaning.

Not
all third-party candidates took the opportunity of Paul's invitation
to attend the press club. Noticeably absent was Libertarian Party candidate
Bob Barr -- a former CIA agent, who morphed into a Drug War prosecutor
before winning a seat in Congress in 1994. He was voted out in 2003.

Barr
had accepted Paul's invitation to appear, but changed his mind at the
last minute -- though Paul was not informed of this and during his speech
mentioned that Barr would be arriving.

That
didn't happen. Instead, Barr booked the Press Club for a news conference
that would follow Paul's. He said that like the other candidates he
agreed with the four points of the platform, but that it would be a
'waste of time" to attend since Paul was not going to endorse anyone
for president.

The
Internet has been buzzing with commentary about this with Barr being
called a mole and a "neocon diversion."

Don
Rasmussen, Events Coordinator with the Campaign for Liberty, wrote a
blistering statement
slamming Barr's action -- noting that this was his [Rasmussen's] personal
view and it had not been endorsed by Paul or the Campaign for Liberty.

In
his words: "I am deeply disappointed by Bob Barr's decision not
to participate in today's press conference just as I have been disappointed
with the Barr campaign throughout this election cycle.

"The
idea that he was busy is absurd. I am sitting in the National Press
Club right now waiting for his hastily called press conference to begin.
This is the same building where Dr. Paul's presser just ended. Barr
committed to participate, but had his campaign manager call us minutes
before it started to tell us that Bob thinks "it just isn't worth
it." I look forward to hearing him explain how breaking a promise
to Congressman Paul constitutes a wise campaign strategy.

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"It
is my great hope that the alternative parties will present the American
people with quality candidates that offer a real option. Clearly the
Libertarian Party has failed to do so. Bob Barr has repeatedly broken
his promises to Dr. Paul, showed up uninvited at C4L events, and made
statement contrary to Dr. Paul's beliefs while still claiming the mantle
of heir to the R3VOLution.

"Hopefully,
the LP will find a way to reject this candidate without rejecting the
idea of engagement in practical politics."

Links
to Four-Point Statement of Agreement and candidates. Remarks at Campaign
for Liberty press conference:

Chuck
Baldwin, standard bearer for the Constitution Party, said the election
is not between Democrats and Republicans or between liberals and conservatives,
but between constitutionalists and globalists -- with John McCain being
a globalist.